Tuktoyaktuk Shoreline Erosion Mitigation

Project Summary

The Tuktoyaktuk Erosion Mitigation Project began construction in March 2024 to address ongoing coastal erosion impacting critical shoreline areas. The project covered four key sites and additional armoring was completed, including:

• 800 m of the western hamlet shoreline
• 2 km of Tuk Island
• and targeted protection at North Point and Mushu Point

Through Challenger’s Indigenous Partnership, Inukshuk Geomatics, we were able to support both the original survey for design with Baird Engineering, ongoing construction layout and ongoing monitoring.

Project Duration: 2024-2026

Project Manager: Marshall Hatton

Project Staff: Geoff Anderson, Adam Bursey and Chris Sobolewski

Approximate Hours: Approx. 6000 hrs.

Service Delivered and Outcomes

Inukshuk Geomatics delivered integrated geomatics services including GNSS, bathymetric surveying, and UAV data to model both the ocean floor and rapidly changing shorelines both pre-construction and during mitigation. Geotechnical instrumentation, including ERT (Electrical Resistivity Tomography) and thermistor cables laid out and their positions recorded once installed to monitor permafrost response beneath newly constructed layers. Due to continuous erosion, survey data had to be refreshed regularly, ensuring accurate design updates and construction execution.

Project Priority  (Put these in order of most important to least important)

1. Quality
2. Time
3. Money

Problem Solved

Rapid coastal erosion which is reaching 1–2 meters per year due to thawing permafrost, longer ice-free seasons, and stronger storms was putting homes, infrastructure, and culturally important sites at risk. Inukshuk Geomatics supported the solution by delivering accurate, up-to-date survey data that informed design, guided construction, and ensured shoreline protection measures were built in the right place, at the right elevation, despite constantly changing ground conditions. This mitigation project was designed to help the community protect their land.

Working in a sensitive Arctic environment meant construction was limited to winter conditions to minimize ground disturbance and avoid instability from thawing permafrost. Which meant our team was working in the high arctic from November to March.

Project Communication and Collaboration Summary

The project relied on close, ongoing communication between field crews, site supervisors, project managers, and the engineering design teams. Inukshuk Geomatics worked directly with E Grubens Transport and their specialized revetment construction crews from southern British Columbia, collaborating in real time with equipment operators and supporting quality control inspections to ensure work aligned with design intent.

Lessons Learned

• Arctic Coastal and permafrost environments are highly dynamic, with noticeable changes occurring from season to season.
• Pre-construction surveys in the fall are critical but must be validated again before construction after major weather events.
• Flexibility in the field is essential, as designs often require adjustment to reflect real-world conditions.

Innovative Approaches and Outcomes

• Continuous re-surveying of erosion-prone areas ensured up-to-date models for decision-making in a rapidly changing environment.
• Real-time grade verification allowed construction to move forward without delays tied to approval processes.
• Integration of geotechnical monitoring with survey control provided valuable insight into how permafrost responds to layered infrastructure.